Not all meat-eating dinosaurs used the same tricks to bring down their prey. While they may look similar – big skulls, sharp teeth, and a terrifying presence – their bite strategies were very different.
In a new study, scientists at the University of Bristol analyzed 18 species of theropod dinosaurs that lived throughout the Mesozoic Era.
These two-legged predators include some of the most famous names in dinosaur history: Tyrannosaurus rex, Giganotosaurus, and Spinosaurus. Despite their similar appearances, the way they hunted was far more varied than previously assumed.
“The feeding strategies of these top predators are more complex than we thought in the past,” said Fion Waisum Ma of the Beipiao Pterosaur Museum of China.
Blade-like teeth for slicing
To understand how these dinosaurs hunted, the researchers used 3D scans of fossilized skulls. They applied engineering methods that are normally used to test how bridges handle stress. The goal was to investigate how force traveled through the skull bones during a bite.
The researchers found that Giganotosaurus had an elongated skull lined with blade-like teeth designed more for slicing than smashing. Instead of crushing bone, it likely hunted by tearing large chunks of flesh from its prey.
Giganotosaurus’ thin, serrated teeth were “like a cross between a great white shark and a Komodo dragon,” said Eric Snively, associate professor of anatomy at Oklahoma State University.
Giganotosaurus lived in what’s now South America during the mid-Cretaceous period. It was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever discovered, possibly even rivaling T. rex in size. Some scientists believe it may have hunted large sauropods, possibly even in coordinated groups – though that part is still debated.
A dinosaur built for water
Spinosaurus, on the other hand, had a very different lifestyle. Its teeth were conical and not built for slicing or crushing. Its long, narrow snout and retracted nostrils suggest it spent much of its time in or near water.
Spinosaurus was “like a fin-backed heron with the body of a wiener dog, and teeth like a crocodile,” said Snively.
These features point to a diet focused on aquatic prey. It likely snatched up massive fish and other water-dwelling animals, using its jaws more like a fishing spear than a typical predator’s bite.
Its body also supported this role: a long, possibly paddle-shaped tail, short hind limbs, and a sail-like structure on its back. Spinosaurus didn’t dominate on land the way T. rex or Giganotosaurus might have – but in its river systems, it was probably unmatched.
The ultimate skull smasher
T. rex, though, was a different kind of predator, with a bite that wasn’t just powerful – it was extreme, thanks to its shorter, thicker skull and strong jaw muscles that allowed it to bite down with incredible force.
“It turns out, tyrannosaurs were biting so hard they were actually stressing their skulls more than we expected,” said Snively.
By comparing the skull structure and muscle attachment points with modern relatives like crocodiles and birds, the researchers discovered that T. rex had one of the most intense bites of any land predator in history.
Survival in a competitive world
There may be a reason behind T. rex’s brutal efficiency. It wasn’t just about being big or strong – it was about surviving in a world packed with danger and competition.
“T-Rex lived later during the Late Cretaceous Period, when hunting was highly competitive,” Ma said. That environment, she added, may have pushed it to develop a “unique feeding strategy.”
This may explain why T. rex evolved such an overbuilt skull and one of the most powerful bites ever recorded in a land animal. It needed to kill fast, defend kills from rivals, and even crush through bone to reach the nutrients inside.
Unlike earlier theropods that relied more on speed or slashing, T. rex was built to finish the job. In an ecosystem where hesitation could mean losing a meal – or becoming one – T. rex didn’t just survive. It took control.
Dinosaur skulls and hunting strategies
The study makes one thing clear: just because these dinosaurs shared a body plan doesn’t mean they hunted the same way.
Some had teeth designed for slicing or crushing, while others were adapted for hunting in water. “Their behavior shouldn’t be thought of as ‘one size fits all,’” said Snively.
This diversity makes sense considering that these predators lived in different eras and environments, hunting various kinds of prey. Each dinosaur evolved to fit its unique surroundings – and their skulls still reveal that story.
The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.
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